India has earned goodwill by supplying Covid-19 vaccines to countries across the world, including small and economically struggling nations. Leaders from the countries which have received Covid-19 vaccines from India are praising India’s efforts for reaching out to them to help during a global crisis. India had supplied 464.29 lakh made-in-India Covid-19 vaccines to 47 countries as of Thursday. Out of these doses, 71.25 lakh were supplied as a gift and 393.04 lakh were supplied commercially.
recently, WHO chief Dr Tedros had hailed India’s efforts in supplying vaccines that have made over 60 nations around the world start vaccinating healthcare workers and other priority groups in their respective countries. Dr Tedros had added that he hopes other nations will follow India’s example.
Thanks 🇮🇳 & Prime Minister @narendramodi for supporting #VaccinEquity. Your commitment to #COVAX and sharing #COVID19 vaccine doses is helping 60+ countries start vaccinating their #healthworkers and other priority groups. I hope other countries will follow your example.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) February 25, 2021
India’s vaccine outreach to Caribbean countries such as Barbados, Dominica, St Lucia, St Kitts &Nevis, St Vincent & Grenadines and Antigua & Barbuda has been much applauded. Allen M Chastanet, the PM of St Lucia had thanked India for donating 25,000 doses.
Thank you to Prime Minister @narendramodi and our friends from India for donating 25,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine to Saint Lucia🇱🇨🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/afWoQVZMtd
— Allen M. Chastanet (@allenmchastanet) March 1, 2021
World leaders express gratitude for receiving the Covid vaccine from India
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne thanked India for supplying the vaccines to the country terming it an act of benevolence and empathy. Praising PM Modi Broene said, “PM Narendra Modi has demonstrated perhaps the most significant act of benevolence, kindness and certainly empathy” that “we would have seen in the recent times, compared to any act of any other leader globally”. He added, “I have to admit that this is easily one of the most notable acts of benevolence that we have seen in the last 100 years”.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley tweeted to express gratitude towards PM Modi. She thanked PM Modi and wished him good health.
PM Modi @narendramodi made it possible for more than 40K persons in Barbados and tens of thousands elsewhere, to receive their 1st dose of COVISHIELD via #VaccineMaitri before receiving his. A genuine demonstration of generosity. Thank you and we wish you continued good health. https://t.co/1z1QGo6xQf
— Mia Amor Mottley (@miaamormottley) March 3, 2021
A special thanks to India was included by Caribbean countries in a resolution adopted by the Organisation of American States (OAS) which is a group of 34 countries including the US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina.
Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani also thanked India for providing vaccines to the country. When Afghanistan started its vaccination drive with healthcare workers and Afghan military personnel, President Ghani said, “India, the world’s largest democracy and the largest producer of vaccines, not only provided the house of Parliament of Afghanistan and the dams that are the pride of this country but also partners with us in terms of securing the lives and livelihood”.
India is a caring nation and an example of international cooperation: CARICOM
The permanent envoy of CARICOM, a group of 15 Caribbean countries, to the OAS permanent council, Ambassador Ronald Sanders called India a caring nation and an example of international cooperation. “India has demonstrated that it is a caring nation and is an example to the world in international cooperation at a time of global crisis. Further, India has not sought to extract any conditions for its generosity to countries that have no vaccines. India will be remembered by the Caribbean with great gratitude”, said Ambassador Sanders as reported by WION.
Eleven countries including African countries of Ghana, Ivory Coast, Congo, Angola, Nigeria, Kenya, Lesotho, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan and one ASEAN country Cambodia have received the India-made vaccines under the COVAX facility.
Before that, India started its Vaccine Maitri initiative by donating millions of doses to friendly neighbouring countries. Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Maldives, Mauritius and Madagascar are among the nations who have received vaccines gifted by India.